TransLink®

October 19, 2009
The new TransLink® fare payment system for
the San Francisco Bay Area is now accepted on several
of the region's largest transit networks, including
San Francisco Muni, BART, AC Transit, Golden Gate
Transit & Ferry,
Caltrain and Dumbarton Express.

With a single reloadable
TransLink smart card, riders can:

take transit without worrying about having
exact change or carrying paper passes or tickets,

avoid a trip to the store or standing in line
to buy a transit pass or ticket book,

benefit from the security of card and balance
replacement if their TransLink card is lost or
stolen,

skip the hassle of dealing with paper transfers.

How TransLink works

The credit card-sized TransLink card stores value
in the form of electronic cash (e-cash) and transit
passes. To pay a fare, a rider simply “tags” the
card by touching it to one of the card readers
installed on buses or at the entrance to transit
stations or terminals and — in an instant — the
card reader automatically deducts the correct fare
and applies any appropriate discounts, including
transfers. Transit riders will never again have
to fumble for exact change or juggle multiple passes
and tickets.

Convenience and security are key benefits

Designed to make it easier to pay for transit,
TransLink provides several convenient options for
getting a card and loading value onto it. Customers
can order TransLink cards — and add value
to them — online, by phone or by mail, or
pick up a card at participating retail locations
and transit agency ticket offices. Customers also
can add value at self-serve Add Value Machines
located in transit stations, or through an employee
transit benefit program (such as Commuter Check®).

With
TransLink’s convenient Autoload feature,
customers can even set up their cards to reload
automatically using a secure funds transfer from
a bank account or credit card. The TransLink card
is free for customers who set up Autoload, or just
$5 without Autoload.

TransLink also provides financial
protection. Today, if customers lose their cash
fare or paper transit passes or tickets they cannot
replace the money they’ve lost. But with
TransLink, customers with registered cards are
eligible for card replacement and balance restoration
for a small fee in the event of card theft or loss.

Next Expansion: VTA and SamTrans

The system will continue rolling out in phases
to other transit agencies, with Santa Clara VTA
and SamTrans scheduled to be the next agencies
to climb aboard. They will soon be followed by
all other Bay Area transit agencies. Once all agencies
are on board, a customer will be able to ride every
transit system from San Jose to Santa Rosa with
just one card.

Testing and development of TransLink

Testing of the TransLink program involved all
major modes of public transportation in the Bay
Area, including buses, trains, light-rail and ferries.
More than 5,000 volunteers participated in the
original six-month pilot program that began in
2002, with cardholders rating satisfaction at 9
out of a possible 10.

As of September 2009, the
TransLink system recorded an average of more than
37,000 weekday boardings. The most common feedback
received by far has been questions about when TransLink
would be available for more transit services.

Funding and operations of TransLink

TransLink is a joint effort of the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission (MTC), AC Transit, BART,
Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit, Muni, SamTrans,
Santa Clara VTA and all other Bay Area transit
agencies. MTC has funded the system’s development
through a combination of federal, state and regional
funds.

TransLink is managed by the TransLink Consortium,
which includes MTC and the major transit agencies
in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. The
TransLink system is operated through a contract
with Motorola, Inc.

For more information about TransLink,
please contact John Goodwin in MTC’s Public
Information Office at 510-817-5862 or jgoodwin@mtc.ca.gov.